Promotional passes encourage holiday shoppers to skip traffic hassles

Here’s a holiday tradition that would make even the Grinch grin: For the second year in a row, BART gave away passes for free rides to 65,000 customers. The passes were handed out this morning at seven stations: 19th Street in Oakland (where Director Robert Raburn helped give out the goodies), at Powell St., Montgomery St., Embarcadero, Civic Center, Downtown Berkeley and 12th St./ Oakland City Center.

Each pass will be valid for two one-way rides on BART this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, December 10 and 11, from 9 am to 4 pm. The passes encourage holiday shoppers to skip traffic hassles and save their parking money by riding BART (parking at BART stations is free on weekends).